City previews "Accessibili-D," a free autonomous vehicle shuttle for residents age 62+ and/or with disabilities, ahead of June 20 launch

• The Accessibili-D autonomous shuttle pilot will launch June 20th for older Detroiters and residents with disabilities. The service is free for eligible riders and will run through 2025
• Initial route will include 68 stops, cover an 11-square-mile area in southeast area of city
• Pilot is a collaboration between the City’s Office of Mobility Innovation, the Michigan Mobility Collaborative, and May Mobility, supported by a $2.4 million contract and grants from the USDOT and philanthropic partners
• Three autonomous vehicles, including two wheelchair-accessible ones, will offer scheduled and on-demand rides to essential destinations, bookable via a mobile app or phone number, with operational hours spanning weekdays and weekends. Eligible residents must complete an Expression of Interest form to sign-up.
• The project includes extensive community engagement and safety testing, with plans to expand based on rider feedback and continuous data analysis

Mayor Duggan joined city officials, project partners and press to preview the "Accessibili-D" autonomous shuttle service, an innovative initiative aimed at improving mobility for residents with disabilities and those aged 62 and older at no cost to eligible riders. This pilot program, a collaboration between the City of Detroit’s Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI), the Michigan Mobility Collaborative (MMC), and May Mobility, will launch on June 20, 2024, and run through 2025.

The ADS Shuttle program aims to help Detroiters aged 62 and older or living with disabilities reach essential destinations at no cost. The free shuttle service can be scheduled in advance or on-demand, picking riders up at designated stops and taking them to predefined destinations such as stores, doctor appointments, or social and recreational activities.

"Detroit is becoming a national leader in mobility innovation and there is no better use for these advancements than to make sure our most vulnerable residents have a safe and convenient way to access the goods and services they need for a good quality of life,” said Mayor Duggan. “This new shuttle has enormous potential to give older residents and those living with disabilities the ability to be self-sufficient.”

How the service works

This innovative pilot program pilot will launch on June 20, 2024.

The shuttle service will operate within an 11-square-mile area in southeast Detroit, covering 68 stops along a pre-programmed route. Three autonomous vehicles, including two that are wheelchair accessible, will be deployed. The service operates weekdays (except Tuesday) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There will be a safety operator present at all times to assist riders with onboarding and offboarding, as well as address any issues that arise.

Riders will just need to get themselves to the closest stop on the route and then can be taken to any of the 68 locations on the Phase 1 pilot route and returned to their starting point.  For convenience, several stops are located at multi-unit apartment buildings along the route.

Starting Thursday, June 20, Detroit residents interested in using the service must first:

 Submit an Expression of Interest form and be contacted with instructions on how to enroll. Once enrolled, a ride may be scheduled in advance or on-demand in the following ways:

• Website: detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation/detroit-ads-self-driving-shuttles
• Mobile app (Accessibili-D), available through Apple Store and Google Play. The app is available for download on Thursday, June 13.
• Alternatively, riders can contact the May Mobility Detroit Office to book a ride at (734) 209-3408

“We're thrilled to launch the 'Accessibili-D' autonomous shuttle service, a vital step toward enhancing mobility for our older residents and those with disabilities. This free, innovative service will provide safe and efficient transportation, greatly improving access to essential services for residents who have faced difficulty navigating their needs in the city,” said Tim Slusser, chief of the Office of Mobility Innovation at the City of Detroit. “We are thankful for the expert collaboration of the institutions and individuals at the Michigan Mobility Collaborative and May Mobility for their invaluable partnership. We also extend our gratitude to our funders at the Knight Foundation and Delta Dental Foundation for their generous support. Together, we're making Detroit a more inclusive city for all."

Last July, the Detroit City Council unanimously approved a $2.4 million contract with May Mobility to provide the shuttle service, originally expected to be operational by fall 2024. This decision followed 18 months of research and development, supported by grant funding from the United States Department of Transportation Autonomous Driving System Demonstration Grant and philanthropic partners, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Knight Foundation and Delta Dental Foundation.

“Many Detroiters have trouble getting around due to the costs of owning a car or mobility challenges arising from age or disabilities,” said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. “We're excited to show how autonomous technology can help in Detroit, where we will be launching our largest service area to date."

A Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) grant of $206,000 will directly fund a shuttle service to transport Detroit residents to specific dental clinics. One of the destinations will be the Detroit office of My Community Dental Centers (MCDC) at Samaritan Center, which currently serves several hundred patients who are older adults or have disabilities.

“Nationwide, transportation issues are one of the main barriers to underserved individuals getting to their preventive dental visits and completing their treatment plans. We are excited to collaborate with the City of Detroit on an innovative project which could have far reaching impact in helping people have optimal oral health,” said Holli Seabury, EdD, executive director of the Delta Dental Foundation.

Community Engagement

Since last fall, the project focused on community outreach, vehicle safety testing, and mobile application development. Throughout the pilot, data will inform the project’s scale and efficiency locally and potentially globally. Extensive community engagement will continue to build understanding of residents' needs regarding feasibility, access, and public safety, helping to expand public trust and understanding of these systems.

The MMC and May Mobility have engaged with the community to highlight the benefits of AVs and identify key locations in downtown Detroit that best serve users' needs. Based on rider feedback, plans are underway to expand the service zone with additional stops and vehicles. A second round of community engagement began last fall through spring 2024 to refine service routes for the pilot deployment on June 20, 2024.

Safety and Technology:

Extensive vehicle testing was conducted in partnership with the University of Michigan’s Mcity and the American Center for Mobility (ACM) to ensure the safety and reliability of the service. Testing protocols included the Mcity Safety Assessment Program and ACM's comprehensive evaluation process.

May Mobility’s AVs are equipped with cutting-edge Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology.      Using data gathered from  lidar, radar, and cameras to provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings, this technology allows vehicles to simulate thousands of possible scenarios every second, ensuring safe and efficient navigation through Detroit’s streets, even in new situations.

The Detroit Autonomous Driving Systems pilot marks the 14th deployment for May Mobility, which currently operates in several locations across the United States, including Ann Arbor, MI; Grand Rapids, MN; Miami, FL; Arlington, TX; and Sun City, AZ.

The Michigan Mobility Collaborative (MMC):

The MMC, a public-private partnership, supports the development of mobility solutions for older adults and people with disabilities. The MMC will bring comprehensive technical support toward advancing the project’s three fundamental pillars: safety, data, and collaboration. Members include:

• City of Detroit
• AECOM
• The American Center of Mobility (ACM)
• Urbanite by Ford Motor Company
• Deloitte
• Knight Foundation
• Mcity at the University of Michigan
• Michigan Department of Transportation
• University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)
• Wayne State University

The MMC will provide comprehensive technical support for advancing the project's pillars: safety, data, and collaboration. Future engagement activities, including surveys, events, interviews, and focus groups, will continue through 2025. To learn more about Accessibili-D pilot shuttle updates and engagement information, visit detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation/detroit-ads-self-driving-shuttles .

For more information on how to sign up for Accessibili-D shuttle service, please reach out to Dillon Funkhouser at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, at [email protected].

Service Route

The free self-driving shuttles will operate within two concentrated areas where upwards of 40% of Detroiters do not have cars and there are higher densities of Detroiters with disabilities. The shuttle service will operate within an 11-square-mile area in southeast Detroit, covering 68 stops along a pre-programmed route within the initial launch.

The following maps show where the pilot shuttle service will be initially deployed on June 20 and the route expansion plans for August and October 2024.

The Accessibili-D pilot shuttles will pick up and drop off riders at pre-designated stops.  Based on community engagement feedback from residents, the initial launch will include locations that have been determined as high demand to eligible residents:

• St Paul Apts
• Family First Home Health Care
• Grand Circus
• Greektown
• VA Hospital
• DIA
• Michigan Science Center
• Fresenius Medical Care
• Vernon Center
• Samaritan Center
• River Tower Apts
• Sheridan St Apts
• WB Dental Lab
• Eastern Market (Russell and Wilkins St)
• Genesis Hope
• Eastern Market (Shed 5)
• Alpha Manor Nursing Home
• Hamilton Nursing Home
• Lafayette Park
• Qualicare Nursing Home
• Rivertown Market
• Little Caesar’s Arena
• Lafayette W Apts
• Whole Foods
• East Mrkt 2 NB
• Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
• Harper University Hospital
• Parkview Place

Accessibili-D Initial Service Route Map: (Launch on June 20, 2024)

Phase 1 Service Route Expansion (projected for August 2024)

Phase 2 Service Route Expansion (projected for October 2024)

About the City of Detroit's Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI):

The Office of Mobility Innovation (OMI) exists to help the City of Detroit navigate the rapidly changing transportation and mobility industries. Transportation and mobility are essential for both people and businesses and Detroit’s automotive heritage provides an unparalleled opportunity to work with industry to innovate and define their future.

OMI leads mobility advancement efforts on behalf of the City of Detroit and collaborates with industry, academia, philanthropy, and local, state and federal government. By centering residents in every step of the process, OMI is focused on leveraging mobility as a pathway to opportunity in Detroit.

For additional information about OMI, please visit detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram

About May Mobility

May Mobility develops autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and deploys fleets of vehicles to municipal and business customers. Its Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) system is at the core of its mission to help make cities safer, greener and more accessible. MPDM's proven track record has delivered more than 350,000 autonomy-enabled rides to date in public transit applications across the U.S. and Japan. With key strategic partnerships including some of the world's most innovative automotive and transportation companies, such as Toyota Motor Corporation and NTT, May Mobility aims to achieve the highest standard in rider safety, sustainability and transportation equity. For more information, visit www.maymobility.com.

About Delta Dental Foundation

The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. DDF is dedicated to developing and enhancing partnerships and programs to improve oral and overall health and health equity. For more information, visit www.deltadental.foundation.